Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day: A Rich Mix Of Traditions

Saint Valentine's Day may now be celebrated worldwide but traditions are often very different – and sometimes have nothing at all to do with romance.While in Europe it's all about couples cosying up, in the United States (US) it is as much about schoolchildren celebrating friendship while in Japan women give chocolates to their bosses.From pagan festival to marketing ploy, we look at the rich Valentine's mix:All Whipped Up Valentine's Day was once a rather violent

14 February 2022
0

Valentine's Day: Flowers, Chocolates Or Whipping?

Saint Valentine's Day may now be celebrated worldwide but traditions are often very different – and sometimes have nothing at all to do with romance.While in Europe it's all about couples cosying up, in the United States (US) it's more about schoolchildren celebrating friendship while in Japan women give chocolates to their bosses.Yet in Muslim countries it has a subversive edge.From pagan festival to marketing ploy, we look at the rich Valentine's mix:All Whipped UpValent

14 February 2021
0

A quiet Valentine's Day in China

It was supposed to be a whirlwind tour of China for Jiang Lanyi's boyfriend: classical gardens in Suzhou, modern art in Shanghai, ice-skating in central Beijing.Instead, the 24-year-old and her Ukrainian partner have spent more than two weeks holed up in her parents' house in northeast Liaoning province to avoid the new coronavirus.Couples around China settled for a quiet Valentine's Day this year, with COVID-19 intruding as an unwelcome third-wheel in romantic celebrations.The

15 February 2020
0

Valentine’s Day: Southeast Asians are spending more

Southeast Asians are spending more on Valentine’s Day, with new research confirming that the most romantic day of the year is becoming increasingly commercialised.The 2019 Mastercard Love Index released yesterday reveals that Asia Pacific leads the world when it comes to growth in sentimental spending for Valentine’s Day. Compared to 2016, Asians spent 33 percent more on their loved one in 2018 – with the overall number of transactions up by 37 percent.

14 February 2019
0